Qatar Warns Bab al-Mandab Closure Would Be Catastrophic

Doha: (News Desk) – Qatar has warned of severe global consequences if the Bab al-Mandab Strait is closed, as tensions continue to disrupt major shipping routes following the prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and renewed Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

Qatar Foreign Ministry official Ibrahim Al Hashmi told reporters on Tuesday that the international community was already facing serious disruption due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and could not afford another major maritime route to be blocked.

He described any closure of Bab al-Mandab, the southern gateway to the Red Sea, as “catastrophic for the entire world” and said Qatar was pushing for diplomacy and dialogue to address the crisis.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia issued air-raid alerts for possible attacks in Makkah, Jeddah and Taif. The alerts, including the first warning issued for Makkah since the regional war began, were later lifted by Saudi civil defence authorities.

The warnings came a day after ballistic missile and drone attacks launched from Yemen injured 13 people in southern Saudi Arabia.

The renewed tensions also affected maritime traffic. A British maritime monitoring agency said it had received a report of a vessel being struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

UK Maritime Trade Operations said there was no reported damage or environmental impact from the incident and that authorities were investigating.

The United Nations Security Council was also due to meet on Tuesday to discuss developments surrounding the Bab al-Mandab Strait after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis reportedly seized control of parts of the country’s Red Sea coast and the strategic waterway.

France, which holds the Security Council presidency this month, requested the meeting.

Bab al-Mandab is a critical shipping route connecting Europe and Asia through the Red Sea. Its importance has increased as the wider conflict has severely disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, warned that it would respond firmly to further Houthi attacks. The Saudi-led coalition said missile and drone attacks had targeted Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, leaving 13 people injured.

The Houthis claimed to have launched a large-scale attack involving dozens of ballistic missiles and drones against the King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. Saudi authorities confirmed the attacks and said they would take all necessary measures to protect the kingdom’s sovereignty.

The renewed escalation comes amid continuing fighting in Yemen and wider tensions between Iran, Saudi Arabia and other regional powers. US President Donald Trump said Monday that Washington remained open to talks with Iran, while Iranian officials maintained that negotiations would not take place until Tehran’s conditions were met.

A proposed meeting between Gulf states and Iran over the future of the Strait of Hormuz was also postponed, with Tehran accusing Riyadh of using the Yemen conflict as a reason to delay the talks.

Iran has long supported the Houthis, although Tehran has rejected claims that it controls their decisions. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the Houthis were independent actors acting according to their own interests.

The renewed conflict has also displaced thousands of Yemenis. The UN migration agency said the latest fighting had forced 93,864 people to flee their homes, adding to the country’s already severe humanitarian crisis.